If there's an unwanted presence in your home - a bin of clothing from "bigger" days, perhaps, or a stack of books from an unfinished degree - it's time to set it free.

The logic we use to justify hanging on to remnants from our past that spark regret, grief or shame, are not logical. They're superstitious and masochistic. Keeping your "fat" clothes doesn't ward off weight gain any more than tossing them tempts it. Keeping textbooks from an unfinished degree or an incomplete craft project doesn't inspire you to finish what you started. Instead, it sparks discouraging, negative emotions and invades the space that should be dedicated to what you're working on NOW. If and when you choose to return to your project, you will prefer to start out with fresh supplies.

So for now, stop punishing yourself. Accept that you've made decisions in the past to get you where you are today. Accept where you are today - and who you are today - and outfit your home with the things that set you up for success in your CURRENT endeavors.